Saxophone neck system

Abstract

A saxophone neck system uses interchangeable component parts to modify and optimize sound and resistance. The saxophone neck system may allow a saxophone player the ability to change components to achieve variations in sound and to use the components with various manufacturers' instruments and mouthpieces. With the use of various internal shapes and dimensions placed in a specific combination, the player can create a desired sound. Additionally, the saxophone neck system may eliminate neck cork compression discrepancies from different manufacturers by offering different diameters of the body of the initiator portion of the saxophone neck system to fit any saxophone mouthpiece.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A saxophone neck system, comprising:
 a saxophone neck component having a first portion configured as a first part of a first threaded coupling the saxophone neck component defining an internal air passage; and 
 a first adaptor component having a desired external and internal configuration, the first adaptor component further having an integral first threaded portion configured as a second part of the first threaded coupling, the first adaptor component further having a second portion configured to engage a saxophone mouthpiece, the first adapter component defining an internal bore; 
 wherein the first threaded coupling is adapted to releasably secure the first adaptor component having said second portion to the saxophone neck component. 
 
     
     
       2. The saxophone neck system of  claim 1 , wherein the first adaptor component is an initiator including an initiator adapter section adapted for threadably coupling to a first end of the saxophone neck component, and the initiator further including a mouthpiece attachment section adapted for releasably coupling to the saxophone mouthpiece. 
     
     
       3. The saxophone neck system of  claim 2 , wherein the first end of the saxophone neck component has male threads and the initiator adapter section has mating female threads. 
     
     
       4. The saxophone neck system of  claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of o-rings on an external periphery of the mouthpiece attachment section. 
     
     
       5. The saxophone neck system of  claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of grooves cut in the mouthpiece attachment section of the initiator, wherein the o-rings fit into each of the plurality of grooves. 
     
     
       6. The saxophone neck system of  claim 4 , wherein the o-rings form an airtight seal between the initiator and a mouthpiece when attached thereto. 
     
     
       7. The saxophone neck system of  claim 2 , wherein the saxophone neck component includes a second portion configured as a first part of a second releasable mechanical coupling mechanism; and wherein the saxophone neck system further comprises:
 a second adaptor component having a desired external and internal configuration, the second adaptor component further having a portion configured as a second part of the second releasable coupling mechanism; 
 wherein the second adaptor component is adapted to releasably couple to the saxophone neck component through use of the first and second parts of the second releasable coupling mechanism. 
 
     
     
       8. The saxophone neck system of  claim 7 , wherein the second adaptor component is adapted for releasably coupling to a saxophone body. 
     
     
       9. The saxophone neck system of  claim 8 , wherein the second end of the saxophone neck component has a first threaded portion and wherein the second adaptor component has a mating threaded portion. 
     
     
       10. The saxophone neck system of  claim 9 , wherein the second adaptor component has an internal bore that is tapered from smaller to larger relative to air flowing from the initiator, through the saxophone neck component and through the tenon. 
     
     
       11. The saxophone neck system of  claim 2 , wherein the initiator adapter section has external knurls. 
     
     
       12. The saxophone neck system of  claim 9 , wherein the second adapter component has external knurls. 
     
     
       13. The saxophone neck system of  claim 8 , wherein the tenon of the second adapter component is adapted to frictionally fit into a body of a saxophone. 
     
     
       14. The saxophone neck system of  claim 2 , wherein the initiator has an internal bore shape that, considered along its length in a direction passing from the mouthpiece attachment section to the initiator adaptor section, is one of the following configurations:
 tapered small to large through a first portion of the length of the initiator, then arc-shaped through a second portion of the initiator; 
 cylindrical for a first portion of the length of the initiator, then arc-shaped through a second portion of the initiator; 
 continuously arc-shaped throughout the entire length of the initiator; 
 cylindrical for a majority of the length of the initiator, then arc-shaped for the remaining minority length of the initiator; 
 tapered large to small for at least some portion of the length of the initiator; and 
 cylindrical for the entire length of the initiator. 
 
     
     
       15. A method of manufacturing a saxophone neck assembly, the method comprising the acts of:
 forming a saxophone neck component having a portion configured as a first part of a first threaded coupling the saxophone neck component defining an internal air passage; and 
 forming a first adaptor component having a desired external and internal configuration, the first adaptor component further having an integral first threaded portion configured as a second part of the first threaded coupling, the first adaptor component further having a second portion configured to engage a saxophone mouthpiece, the first threaded coupling configured to secure the adaptor component having said second portion to the saxophone neck component. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising the acts of:
 forming the saxophone neck component to have a portion configured as a first part of a second threaded coupling; and 
 forming a second adaptor component having a desired external and internal configuration, the second adaptor component further having a portion configured as a second part of the second threaded coupling. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first adaptor component is an initiator configured to engage a saxophone mouthpiece, and wherein the initiator has an internal bore profile in which at least a portion of the internal bore profile has a shape that is not a linearly increasing bore. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second adaptor is further configured to engage a saxophone body. 
     
     
       19. The saxophone neck system of  claim 1 , wherein the internal bore of the first adaptor component defines a portion of the air path from the mouthpiece through the saxophone neck system. 
     
     
       20. The saxophone neck system of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the internal bore of the first adaptor component has at least one of the following shapes in the direction of air flow through the first adaptor component: cylindrical, a decreasing taper from large to small, and an arcuate expansion.